Light of the Chrysanthemum
by ice flow
Summary: Part 3 of Trilogy, Semi-feudal era. With time set in a never-ending forward flow comes the duties of a lord--duties that if he could thrown away, he would have. He wished life was as simple as when he had been a child. AtoJi, Dirty, Silver
1. Prologue

Third part!  


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**Series:** Chrysanthemum  
**Title**: Light of the Chrysanthemum  
**Author**: ice  
**Genre**: General, Romance  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Pairings**: AtoJi  
**Summary**: Set in a semi-feudal era. With time set in a never-ending forward flow comes the duties of a lord--duties that if he could have thrown away, he would have. He wished life was as simple as it had been when he had been a child.  


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**Disclaimer**: I can only wish I owned PoT. If I did, then the series would have 1. Officially have AtoJi as one of the pairings, 2. Be Hyoutei-centric, and 3. Tenimyu would also reflect AtoJi so that I can watch Kazuki and Takuya be all cute and stuff to each other. XD

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_"When I grow up, I wanna marry Ji-chan!"_

"Child! You cannot-"

"I don't care!" Dark eyes glared at her.

A man knelt down next to the child. "Son, you have responsibilities as an adult. Besides, when you reach that age, you may not want to marry your Ji-chan anymore."

The child glared at him, beginning to open his mouth to protest again, when he was interrupted by a soft voice.

"...I just have to give him babies, right?" Jaws dropped at the other child's question. How did a child grasp the concept of having children?!

"...right?"

"Well, yes, but-" The man tried to explain, but was once again cut off by the child.

"Then I'll give him as many babies as he needs!" The child nodded as if confirming the statement.

"Child, you cannot-"

"I'll find a way!" The child pouted at him. Between his own son glaring at him and this child giving him such a look, he was at a loss as to what to do.

A chuckle sounded throughout the room. "Why don't you just let them sign the betrothal contract? That IS what they want, correct?"

The children nodded. "Then that's settled. They'll eventually realize what they just did and agree to break it off in the future, but for now, let them have their fun." Then he added to the woman. "Oh yes, add in a stipulation of him marrying one of your other children should they eventually decide to not marry."

Taken aback, the woman hesitantly agreed. "..al-alright..." 

Of course, that was just a dream of the past, she reflected. An impossible dream now.

The Lady gently parted the curtains leading the way to her daughter's chamber, silently stepping towards her daughter sitting at her vanity preparing herself for the day. Light-brunette hair the color of warmth fell gently in long curls down the girl's back, clipped and held with ornate pins.

"Child."

The girl started at her mother's sudden voice and turned around. "Mother. What are you doing here?" She asked, surprised.

"Just checking up on my daughter." The Lady moved closer until she stood right behind her daughter. "How do you feel?"

"Excited. I'm finally going to be meeting my betrothed!" The girl clapped her hands in happiness.

The woman gave an almost bittersweet smile to her daughter. She was happy her daughter actually looked forward to meeting her betrothed, unlike many others, but she wasn't too sure about the future son-in-law. While he had been a most honorable and noble child, she hadn't been hearing too many great things about him. She doubted the child had changed so drastically, but ever since that incident over a decade prior when her family's home was invaded, the boy had somehow lost all his memories of ever meeting them. It was strange to say the least.

She supposed they were lucky to have come so far, however. The boy had been the Emperor's nephew, and because he had been visiting their home so frequently, the Emperor had also decided to stop by for visits whenever he was in the area. It was shocking to have royalty in their home, but they had eventually adapted, becoming somewhat close acquaintances with the royal line. It was for this reason that when their home had burned to the ground, they were offered a place at the palace. She now stayed there with her two daughters while her son headed their province. It also helped that her husband was on the council of advisers.

She looked at her cheerful daughter and sighed. Her baby was going to leave the nest soon. She was going to slowly lose her daughter starting the following week when the betrothed finally visited the palace. Sons didn't leave the family; daughters did. Smiling a bit bitterly, she reflected on the fact that had that siege so long ago had never happened, she would still have a child left to dote on.

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I hope everyone liked it. Please leave a comment or review!


	2. Chapter 1

Finally posted this!

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**Series:** Chrysanthemum  
**Title**: Light of the Chrysanthemum  
**Author**: ice  
**Genre**: General, Romance  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Pairings**: AtoJi  
**Summary**: Set in a semi-feudal era. With time set in a never-ending forward flow comes the duties of a lord--duties that if he could have thrown away, he would have. He wished life was as simple as it had been when he had been a child.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: I can only wish I owned PoT. If I did, then the series would have 1. Officially have AtoJi as one of the pairings, 2. Be Hyoutei-centric, and 3. Tenimyu would also reflect AtoJi so that I can watch Kazuki and Takuya be all cute and stuff to each other. XD

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The grounds were peacefully quiet, with the occasional light breeze dancing amongst the leaves of the nearby trees. The occasional chirp from a bird was heard, as the water in the fountain steadily flowed. Giggles were heard in the yard, as a petite blond teen chased after a white butterfly, trying to capture it. A young woman stood nearby, watching said teen play in delight.

Both seemed unaware of a pair of dark blue eyes watching them, content to see them happy. The sun shone bright. It was truly a peaceful day, Atobe mused as he continued to watch his lover from inside his study. Lucky for him, his study window gave him a splendid view, especially when the blond tripped over his own feet and yelped as he landed awkwardly with his bottom raised in the air. He chuckled.

"Peaceful, isn't it."

Atobe turned his head and glanced over at his blue-haired companion who was now standing next to him, also looking through the window. They turned back to the scene just in time to see a red-head tackle the blond who had been in the process of getting up.

"There he goes." Oshitari sounded amused as he watched Mukahi bowl over Jirou. The two had then proceeded to bicker and throw blades of grass at each other as the woman laughed at them.

"Aa. Ore-sama would appreciate it if your toy didn't try to attack Jirou at every chance." Atobe commented dryly.

Oshitari shrugged. "You have to admit it's amusing to watch them do that all the time though." He pointed out.

Atobe only made a noise of agreement and continued to watch the three outside play.

"What are you going to do about that letter then?" Oshitari casually asked, not even bothering to face Atobe as he did so.

Atobe stiffened almost imperceptibly. "What of it?"

"You'll have to start traveling the day after tomorrow if you want to get there on time, you realize?"

Atobe made a noise of disgust. "Don't remind Ore-sama. Why they are so intent on getting Ore-sama to communicate with that family is ridiculous."

"Oh?"

"They insist that Ore-sama wanted to marry one of their children and that Ore-sama had signed a contract when he was nine."

"Hmm..."

"And did you?"

Atobe scoffed. "Do you not think Ore-sama would remember if he had done so? Ore-sama recognizes no one from that family, despite what they all say. Even Father is against me." He looked disgruntled.

"Your Father?" Oshitari looked incredulous. "Perhaps there is a reason for that?" He suggested.

"Like what? Father had only been becoming increasingly annoyed with Ore-sama's reputation. He believes the rumors for some damn reason." Atobe scowled. "When will you people stop those anyways?" He glared at Oshitari, as if blaming him for the rumors in the first place.

Oshitari laughed. "You make it sound as if it's my fault." He sounded amused. "You know just as well as I do that your little Jirou was the one who started it."

"Hmph."

Then Oshitari's expression turned serious. "You should be glad your province is so loyal to you though. They took up on the rumor and were pretty quick in spreading it until it seemed as if you were always like that."

Atobe frowned. "What Ore-sama does not understand is how they did that so quickly."

"Jirou had your guard do it. It helps that your people like you, despite your attitude in public." Oshitari smirked at him. "Having that adorable blond who's supposedly your 'mistress' or 'pleasure slave' asking them for their help in helping _you _really did the trick though. After all, a loyal slave asking people to help protect his master tells a lot about said master."

Atobe scowled at him. "And pray tell, WHAT do they actually think of me?"

Oshitari raised an eyebrow. "You do not know?"

Atobe sniffed. "Ore-sama knows." Then he muttered, "he's just confused at the conflicting attitudes."

"While I doubt all of them would throw away their lives for you, I'm pretty sure there's a lot of them who would do anything you asked of them, no matter how questionable."

Atobe raised an eyebrow. "Really, now. And why are you here instead of back at your own manor?" He said flatly.

Oshitari shrugged. "Bored."

"Apparently so."

"Well, in any case, you might want to tell Jirou about that letter soon." Oshitari reminded.

Atobe gave the letter sitting innocently on his desk a disgusted glare before turning and leaving the room, heading out to the yard where his lover and friends were. Oshitari followed behind him chuckling.

"Keigo!" Jirou beamed upon seeing Atobe, dashing over and throwing himself at the taller man. Atobe caught him and supported him as Jirou wrapped his legs around Atobe's waist and arms around Atobe's neck and clung like a limpet.

"Ugh. How disgusting." Came the comment from the red-head.

"And you're that much better with Oshitari?" Jirou turned around and stuck his tongue out at Mukahi.

"Now, now, children."

"Shut up Yuushi/Oshitari!" Mukahi and Jirou shouted.

"Alright, break it up." Atobe looked at Oshitari and Mukahi. "And you two, get out."

Mukahi snorted. "Some host you are."

Atobe glared. "Ore-sama does not recall inviting either of you over."

"Alright, alright! We're going." Oshitari held up his hands in mock defeat. "See you at the festival then."

Atobe frowned at the backs of both men, before noticing a light tugging on his sleeve. He looked down to see Jirou looking up at him with wide-eyes. "Yes?"

"Ne, ne. Can I help set up for the festival?" Jirou looked eager. The Hanabi-Iro festival was held every three years to celebrate the province's wealth and success. There would be multitudes of various booths selling trinkets and cloth, the daily parade down the street every day for the entire duration of the week of the festival, shows performed by the more talented women of the teahouses, all having gone through inspection, and by other talented artists. On the night of the final day of the festivities, a firework show would signal the end of the celebration.

Jirou had only been to the festival once before; it had been the spring a few months after his lord had taken him home with him. He had been fascinated by everything; it just all looked so interesting! He was sure quite a few of the townspeople had found him amusing, but it didn't bother him. Atobe-sama had been accompanying him around, indulging the blond's various requests. Before that, Yuki-san had prohibited him from going outside, afraid that someone could possibly kidnap or hurt him, and before his time at the teahouse, going to such a festival would have only happened in a dream. He was excited to attend yet another one.

Unfortunately, Atobe had to burst his bubble. They would not be in the province anymore for the rest of the duration of the setup.

Jirou blinked at him in confusion. "Huh? Why? Where are we going?"

Atobe sighed before leading Jirou into his study, handing the letter he received over to the teen. He saw Jirou's face fall as he read over the letter and pulled the blond closer to him, telling him that he should get ready because they were going to leave tomorrow. He also told Jirou to make sure to bring a few of his better outfits. He wanted to show all those people how much better Jirou was. And he definitely wasn't going to back down from introducing Jirou to them. Jirou would always be first on his list of priorities.

Jirou stared at him. "Wait, I'm going?"

Atobe gave him a look. "Of course you're going!. Ore-sama refuses to leave you behind, and you need to approve of the family. Ore-sama will consider not throwing her into the dungeons immediately, should you approve of her."

Atobe turned away and collected a few papers off his desk. "In any case, we shall arrive at the palace in three days' time. We will stay at the palace for approximately two days to meet the other party, after which we will return here for the festival. My father will want us to bring the other family with us, I suppose." At Jirou's silence, he frowned and turned around, "What's wrong?"

Jirou brought his hands up to rub his eyes, even as he faced the ground, hair covering his eyes. "N-nothing."

"Stop saying that. You've been saying that for the past few weeks." Atobe caught a glimpse of what seemed like a tear. "Are you crying?" He threw his papers back onto his desk and quickly made his way over to Jirou. He caught Jirou's wrists with both hands and held them apart. "Now, what's wrong?" He tried to look at Jirou's face, but the blond refused to look at him, turning his head away.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just being stupid. T-that's all."

Atobe scowled. "None of that nonsense. Tell me what is wrong." He ordered, even as he held the struggling blond in place. "Why are you crying?"

"I...." Jirou stopped struggling. He let out a quiet sob. "Why?" He finally whispered. "You know I'm only causing you trouble. I-"

"Jirou." Atobe interrupted. "You are not causing Ore-sama any trouble at all. If I truly did not want you here, then I would have said so already. Unfortunately, you have gained Ore-sama's affection and full attention. You are _not _going anywhere, **ever**."

"But _why_?" Jirou let out brokenly. He looked Atobe directly in the eyes, still trying to hold back his tears. "I live off of you! You feed me, cloth me, give me shelter, gave me an education, give me attention and love and anything anyone could ever ask for...how can you say that I'm not a burden?"

Atobe's hard look softened. "Is that what you've been worrying about? That you could possibly be a burden to me?"

Jirou looked away. "You shouldn't have to care for a mere slave and keep reassuring him that he'll still have a place in your heart when you are getting married." He said so softly, that Atobe had to strain to hear.

"Jirou." Atobe released one of Jirou's wrists and took hold of the blond's chin, turning the blond's head to face him. "Do I really need a reason to love you?"

"No..." Jirou mumbled.

"Then?"

"I..." Jirou sniffled.

Atobe slid both arms around Jirou's waist and pulled the blond to him, burying his face in the head of soft curls. Jirou pressed his face to his lord's chest, finally letting out his tears.

"I feed you, cloth you, love you, and all those you listed, because I want to. I bought you all those years because you interested me, because I wanted a friend, because I thought you were worth something." Atobe murmured. He let Jirou go and placed a finger at the base of Jirou's chin, tilting the blond's head up. "You keep me safe in various ways, from spreading that ridiculous--but effective--rumor to making sure no random assassin manages to poison me. You go out of your way to take care of me, even when I tell you not to, and you think you are a burden?"

Jirou sniffled and giggled at the same time. "W-when you put it t-that way..."

"Yes, well, don't expect me to say all that again anytime soon." Atobe gave a haughty huff.

Jirou gave his lord a soft smile. "I guess I really was just worrying over nothing..." He murmured.

Atobe sighed. "Jirou, I know what you do in your free time. I realize that even the head of my special guard reports to you, especially for the most important decisions." Jirou gave a start. "Yes, I know that fact very well. Do not ever think of yourself as just a mere slave again, you hear me?" Atobe gave the blond a stern look. "You are my lover, and will remain so until you, yourself, decide otherwise. I, on the other hand, do not ever intend to give you up."

Jirou gazed at the silver-haired lord. He smiled, cheeks still tear-streaked. "I didn't know you were so romantic...Oshitari will have a field day if-"

"You are not telling him that." Atobe glared.

"Hai, hai." Jirou giggled. He wiped off the remnants of his tears from his face. "Ne, what's the other family's name?"

"Akutagawa."

Jirou froze.

_"-ga...wa..... There!" The child frowned. "I don't like how that looks..."  
"Child, that is your name. It does not matter if you like it or not."  
The child looked disappointed. Then, his face brightened. "I know! I like this one!" He had barely finished writing down a box-shaped radical before a hand slapped his wrist. "Oww!"  
"Stop that! That is not your name, and will never be your name!"  
"Yes it will be!"  
"You-" _

"...Jirou?"

"Huh?" Jirou started out of the foggy scene he saw.

Atobe gave him an odd look. "Are you alright?"

Jirou shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Yes, I'm alright." He frowned at the...memory...? Was it really a memory from his childhood? If he was punished for every little thing, maybe that was why he had forgotten. Maybe it was better that he had forgotten. He looked at Atobe contemplatively. "Ne, Keigo...I'll be Sayuri for the duration of the family's presence."

Atobe looked at him questioningly. "Why?"

Jirou shrugged. "It's just a feeling I have." His eyes took on a far away look. He had a feeling that if the other family ever found out his real name, life as he knew it might end. He didn't want it to end. He wanted to stay with his Keigo forever.

"Alright." Atobe agreed. The lord never argued with the blond when he said that. While he had his Insight, Jirou's instincts were amazingly sharp.

Jirou grinned at the lord. "I guess I'll have to go prepare then!" He gave Atobe a peck on the lips. "Mmm...I believe you'll have a little fun with Sayuri." The blond purred as he sauntered away, hips swaying from side to side, tempting the lord. Jirou giggled when he was out of sight, having seen the darkened hint of lust in his lord's eyes.

He smiled happily. He was going to have just as much fun being Sayuri though. He hadn't taken on the full courtesan role in such a long time. The last--and only--time he had done that, was a month after the night of his debut on stage when his lord had taken him home. The daughter of one of the far-off provinces had come and tried to gain his lord's hand in marriage. Neither Jirou nor Atobe had any interest in her, but eventually, Jirou became irritated enough to don his elaborate layers of robes and let out his personal opinion of the woman, shocking his lord and making the woman leave with angry tears. Sure, he'd done various little things more suited to a pleasure-slave than a companion since all those years ago, but it had all been in jest. He'd never actually fallen full into the role before, although, he had had episodes where his lord had said that he had acted like a cold bitch, for the lack of a better word. It had been an attitude more fitting on an experienced, simpering courtesan than his usual self. 'Sayuri' was the name he and his lord had given that particular personality and role.

Jirou smirked, entering his room. He was going to have fun with that family. Now let's see, what should he pack...

"Jirou-kun."

"Hmm?" Jirou continued packing, even as the head of the Guard suddenly appeared and sat on his windowsill.

"What do you think of this list?"

Jirou glanced over at the paper held out. "Take all the servants off the list. Leave Ai-chan. She'll be enough. Put in five more guards. The other family is returning with us. They will most likely be carrying much more than we will. Oh yes, spread the word that Sayuri will be tending to her lord for when they visit."

"Sayuri?" The other man raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'll try. No guarantees that everyone in the province will do so. They're much more used to calling you Jirou." He said as he leapt off the sill and darted off. Yes, even the entire province knew of his alter-ego.

Jirou hummed happily as he continued to pack. Even if he didn't like that this trip was to meet his lover's betrothed, he was going to have fun as Sayuri, he thought as he smirked.

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gillii_akujacku: See? I kept the dungeons thing in there! =P

To Everyone: Yes, I realize Jirou might be considered a little more emo than usual, but you have to understand that he's gotten everything he ever wanted from Atobe and is constantly being spoiled by Atobe. And since Atobe also pretty much saved him from a life of prostitution...yeah...

But anyways, it also has to do with the fact that I don't know my exam grade for Chemistry yet, and am VERY frustrated at the idea of not getting an A after dropping everything just to study for it. =.=..*twitch* I''ll probably find out my grade tomorrow...so wish me luck. =/

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I hope everyone liked this chapter though. **Please leave a comment or review!**

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**Again, I will be moving this fic to the rated M section when I post the next chapter. Rating will jump by a little, but might as well put it there now. =) Please continue reading and reviewing!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Series:** Chrysanthemum  
**Title**: Light of the Chrysanthemum  
**Author**: ice  
**Genre**: General, Romance  
**Rating**: R  
**Pairings**: AtoJi  
**Summary**: Set in a semi-feudal era. With time set in a never-ending forward flow comes the duties of a lord--duties that if he could have thrown away, he would have. He wished life was as simple as it had been when he had been a child.  


* * *

  
**Disclaimer**: I can only wish I owned PoT. If I did, then the series would have 1. Officially have AtoJi as one of the pairings, 2. Be Hyoutei-centric, and 3. Tenimyu would also reflect AtoJi so that I can watch Kazuki and Takuya be all cute and stuff to each other. XD

* * *

It was a bright sunny morning they left on. It was a relatively small and quiet party they were leaving with, but even then, some of the nearby residents had come to bid their lord a safe journey.

"Jirou." The boy in question turned to see his Nee-san walking up to him, holding a small package.

Jirou grinned as he walked over to fetch the package before throwing himself at the woman and hugging her. "Thanks! I'd hope you'd get back in time."

Suzuka raised an eyebrow. "I'm not too sure I want to know what's in that thing after that wink from Yuki-san." And quite a questionable wink it was. She had a pretty strong feeling that the package Jirou had requested for didn't contain just hidden weapons for the trip.

A dark flash appeared at their side. "Jirou-kun. We're done with the preparations. Please get in the carriage."

"Okay." Jirou turned back to his Nee-san. "We'll be going then. Take care of everything, ne?" He smiled brightly before hopping away to the carriage. He would've liked for his Nee-san to be able to go with them, but she had an important job. She was to keep an eye on the province and household for anything suspicious or potentially threatening. Some of the older staff didn't like that she had more power than them, but they accepted that she was their lord's lover's sister. Hence, putting her on a higher level in the household. It helped that they knew she would never betray their lord, because that would mean hurting Jirou, and they knew she would never hurt Jirou.

"Bye!" She watched as Jirou waved goodbye from the window of the carriage. It was one of those miniature-houses, with a roof with elegant tassels and silk curtains, soft plush seats inside, and a decorated exterior. One of the guards manned the front, and would be leading the horses that were to pull the carriage. The other guards would pose as normal soldiers, with the exception of a few. The three women in the guard would pretend to be servant girls, and would keep the actual servant girl, Ai, company. The other few would pretend to be regular servants. To an outsider, it seemed that there were just as many servants as there were soldiers. There were not only often bandits waiting to raid such luxurious parties, but also spies sent by lords wanting to expand their territories.

When Atobe arrived and entered the carriage, the party started off. Suzuka hoped they would make it safely to the capital.

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Jirou sighed contently as he snuggled his head on his lord's lap. It had been a peaceful one and a half days since they had started on their journey. They would be stopping at a nearby stream to wash up in a while. Then, the movement of the carriage stopped.

"Jirou-kun, Atobe-sama. We've arrived at the stream." The driver called back into the carriage. Jirou sighed and sat up, yawning. As much as he didn't like leaving Atobe's lap, he wanted to clean up. He was starting to get sticky from the heat.

"Keigo, I'm going to go this way then." Jirou pointed to a spot slightly further downstream. He didn't want to bathe near his lord, because he knew that they wouldn't stop at just bathing if either of them saw the other unclothed. They hadn't had sex for the past two days.

Atobe frowned for a bit before agreeing. He knew Jirou would be safe on his own. Jirou could take care of himself. It was him that needed guarding since any potential enemies would target him and not what appeared to be a slave.

Jirou stretched out the kinks in his body as he washed up. The water was cool and crisp, refreshing. It would've been a nice place to take a nap, but he didn't want Keigo to panic if he didn't come back just because he fell asleep. He sighed as he got out of the water and dressed. On his way back, however, his ears caught a suspicious rustle. It didn't sound like anything an animal would make. He paused, pretending to stare at the nearby flora, listening to see what was out there. When the rustle didn't appear again, he picked a few of the flowers and headed back to camp, keeping his eyes and ears open for any movement.

He subtly signaled to the head of the guards and went back to the carriage. He sat on the seat and closed the curtains, and waited for the other to appear.

"What's wrong?"

"There's someone watching us. Keep an eye out for everything."

"Right." The guard flashed away.

Jirou sat back and waited for his lord to enter, as he knew he soon would. As much as he wanted to go to his lord, he knew it would be suspicious for him to leave, especially since the guard was just there. It would look too much like they had something to hide from their little spy.

When Atobe entered the carriage, the party was soon off on their way again. It was only hours later that Jirou felt something was wrong. He sat up from his place on Atobe's lap and got up, walking over to the curtained window and brushed aside the fabric, leaning out and exclaiming about the wonderful view. He signaled for Atobe to call him back.

Atobe did as he bid. "Sayuri! Get back in here!"

"Aww..." Jirou gave a pout before pulling his entire upper body back into the carriage, just in time to escape the thud that landed against the outside of the carriage.

Chaos broke outside as the horses reared up and the guards frantically tried to both calm the horses and seek the attacker. Atobe pulled Jirou tight against him and hid them against the side of the carriage, out of range of the open window and door. It was a few minutes before everything outside had calmed down.

A guard appeared at the door. "Atobe-sama." He offered the arrow from the side of the carriage. "This was the only attack. They seem to have left after sending that arrow."

Jirou grabbed the arrow, carefully avoiding the tip. He looked at his lord. "I think they were trying to aim for you inside the carriage, but I probably surprised them into letting the arrow loose when I ducked out."

Atobe gave the blond a look. "Don't do that again! I almost had a heart-attack when that arrow landed where you were seconds before." He hissed.

Jirou gave a sheepish laugh. "It was the only thing I could think of on such short notice?" He offered as an explanation.

Atobe continued to glare before addressing the guard. "Keep the arrow wrapped in a bag. We will examine it after we reach the castle. Water the horses now. We will not be making any stops tonight." He ordered.

"Yes, Atobe-sama." The guard left.

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They arrived in the morning the next day. Atobe had sent one of the 'servants' two hours ahead before to tell their expecting party to have rooms ready for them when they arrived. Atobe intended to freshen up before having to meet his possible future spouse. Besides, that'd also give Jirou time to get ready and make himself presentable. Atobe smirked at the thought of his father's and the Akutagawas' reactions to the pretty 'slave' he'd brought with him.

They passed by the main gates to the palace with no problems, heading straight to the stables where the carriage would remain parked for the next few days. A few servants from the palace, including the head servant, were there waiting to lead them to their rooms. While the other servants led the guards to their rooms, the head servant turned to Atobe and bowed, asking the lord to follow him to the room prepared for Atobe's stay. The servant glanced back, a little confused when Jirou, in his long traveling yukata, followed them, but did not say anything. When it seemed obvious to him that the boy following them was probably the lord's personal servant, he apologized to the lord and told him that they hadn't known that he had a personal servant accompanying him and had not prepared a room with servant quarters. They would be happy to put the lord's servant in a nearby room, however.

Atobe merely raised an eyebrow and dismissed the servant as they arrived at the room. "It's fine. Sayuri's not a personal servant. He'll be staying with me."

The palace's head servant's eyes widened in shock as he snapped his head over to stare at the boy. He didn't know the lord had a pleasure slave! The boy had his eyes modestly averted towards the ground and head down, hands clasped in front of him. The blond curls glinted in a halo of warm colors and skin shone a beautiful healthy and smooth pink. He supposed he understood why his lord liked this one though...the boy truly was attractive, he mused. At a loud cough, however, he flushed and quickly bowed to the lord. "If you require anything else, please do not hesitate so ask anyone in the palace." He quickly said before taking his leave. He kept his eyes down to avoid the lord's amused look.

The servant's heartbeat quickened as he got further and further away from the pair. He had to tell someone though! The lord had brought his pleasure slave with him on a visit to meet his fiancee! And the slave was male. It would surely throw the grapevine into a frenzy knowing that the lord preferred such young boys. Well, the girl the lord was to marry was quite young also, probably the same age as the boy, but still, the boy was male.

Meanwhile, Atobe watched the servant scuttle away in amusement. He chuckled to himself as he dryly commented, "How long do you think it'll be before my father and the Akutagawas find out?"

Jirou, who had been silent up to this point, giggled. "By the time we head down for lunch, I'd say." He smiled mischieviously at his lord. "Ne, let's go take a bath while they're getting our stuff." Jirou smiled brightly as he grabbed hold of his lord's wrist and dragged the taller man into the room and to the wash room, immediately kicking the door closed and looping his arms around Atobe's neck as the stood next to the pool of water.

"Ne...should I take this off myself, or would you like to?" Jirou purred as he pressed himself up against his lord. Atobe's eyes darkened in lust as he felt the slender body against his. He had difficulty restraining himself, wanting to just tear the yukata off the blond's body and take him then and there, but knew that they only had a few hours to get ready. It was disappointing...but he supposed they could have a bit of fun.

Atobe slid his hands up Jirou's thigh and took hold of the sash keeping the yukata tied together, and pulled, releasing the robe and revealing the smooth, pale skin of his lover. He bent his head down, pressing a gentle kiss onto Jirou's neck, suckling, as the blond moaned. Jirou's hands then slid down from around Atobe's shoulders and began to push the lord's own robe off.

Then they heard the dull shuffling outside the washroom, signs of the servants bringing in their luggage. Atobe sighed as he released Jirou's neck, the boy whimpering at the loss of his lord's mouth on him. Atobe watched Jirou for a moment, before deciding he wanted something to tide him over before having to deal with the ordeal of meeting the other family for lunch. He quickly slipped Jirou's robe off the blond and took off his own before pushing the blond onto the ground beside the pool, holding the boy's thighs apart, and diving for the center of the boy's essence.

Jirou gasped in shock as his lord's mouth engulfed him, moaning at the hard sucking. His lord was trying to bring him off as fast as possible, and he could feel it. The hard sucking and licking on his sensitive tip made him come mere moments later, a result of their abstinence for the past three days. Jirou laid there panting, his legs bent and open, as his lord licked his lips. Atobe smirked. Jirou was absolutely delicious, and that darkened mark on the boy's neck was sure to show his possession.

Atobe moved to get into the pool leaving the blond to catch his breath. When Jirou's heart finally returned to normal, he looked at his lord puzzled. "Aren't you going to...?"

Atobe shook his head. "We both know that if you even touched me, we're not leaving this room any time soon."

Jirou pouted. "I can-"

"Jirou."

"Oh alright." The blond continued to pout. He loved giving his lord pleasure though, even if he couldn't walk sometimes afterwards.

They cleaned up in a pleasant, quiet atmosphere, content just to be in each other's presence. When they got out, they moved to get dressed. Atobe dressed himself; he wasn't like those other lords who required the servants to do the simplest things for him. It wasn't as if he couldn't dress himself. Besides, his Jirou needed the time to get himself ready. He was looking forward to their hosts' reactions to his beautiful lover.

Atobe was just about done when a knock sounded on their door. "Atobe-sama, I'm here to help Sayuri-chan?" The voice outside called. Atobe moved to open the door, seeing as how Jirou was currently preoccupied with his yukata.

"Oh! Atobe-sama." The girl they had brought with them, Ai, bowed before shuffling into the room towards Jirou.

"Ai-chan, can you help me with the back? I think something's folded there..."

"Oh, silly, you've gotten this part tangled."

Atobe watched the two in amusement. His lover never failed to make him smile at the adorableness just oozing from the blond. Then another knock sounded on the door.

"Atobe-sama, I am to escort you to lunch?" Atobe opened the door to see one of the palace servants bowing low. He glanced back into the room at Ai and Jirou.

"I can take him down to lunch, Atobe-sama." Ai commented as she tied Jirou's sash from behind.

"Alright." Atobe turned back to the servant at the door and stepped out of the room, closing the door shut behind him. "Well?" He tapped his foot impatiently as the servant looked between the shut door and the lord. He'd never known any servants and masters to be that casual around each other. It had thrown him for a loop. "Oh! Yes, this way please." The servant turned and walked towards the Grand Hall where the lunch banquet was to be served, still wondering about the lord.

When they reached the entrance to the Hall, the servant stopped and bowed. "We are here, my lord." The guard at the door opened the door for the lord and Atobe stepped through almost disdainfully. He really didn't want to be here. He'd rather be back at the pool with Jirou in his lap...he scolded himself for such thoughts. It was giving him a problem he didn't want his hosts to notice. Well, the highlight of today WOULD be the part where Jirou comes in and meets them, he supposed.

He greeted his father as he sat next to his father's right side. The Emperor would sit to his father's left at the head of the table. Atobe looked around and noted that part of the Akutagawa family was there already. The father sat across from his father, the heir, a man he assumed had married into the family, a woman he assumed to be the older sister, judging from the child sitting next to her and the man...it appeared as if his fiancee and the mother were not present. Noticing where the other two seats had been placed, he moved down a seat, away from his father. Then he signaled to a nearby servant and quietly told them to set the table for one more between him and his father. The servant nodded unsurely, but left to do as he bid nonetheless.

His father and the Akutagawa patriarch continued to discussion something or another, as the Akutagawa heir stared at him curiously. "Atobe Keigo?"

Atobe gave a short nod, his back straight and posture poised. "And you are?"

The man laughed. "I'd heard that you didn't remember anything, but I didn't realize they weren't joking." He grinned. Atobe felt a vague sense of familiarity at that grin. It reminded him of something..."Akutagawa Kaji." The Akutagawa heir bowed.

"I see." He felt irritated that they constantly pointed out his supposed 'amnesia' though.

"Next to me is Minami Ken. He married into the family via Reika-chan here." Kaji gestured towards the two adults sitting next to him. "And that's little Ichiro-kun over there." Said little boy glanced up at hearing his name, but soon returned to twiddling with his toes, his mother scolding him. Atobe almost snorted. The kid reminded him of Mukahi a bit.

"So how have these years been treating you? Heard you've been around a lot." Atobe barely managed to refrain himself from gaping at the heir. The Akutagawa heir was joking with him about how many Atobe had slept with when Atobe was supposedly going to marry his sister?! "Eh, I know how it is to not have a girl on hand when everything gets frustrating." Kaji then gave Atobe a hard look. "Just don't cheat on my little sister."

Atobe snorted. "I have yet to agree to marry your sister. I am only here for the formalities."

Kaji frowned at him. Atobe's father heard that last part and turned to scold him. "Keigo! Be more respectful! The Akutagawas are giving you their little girl; stop being so callous."

Atobe scowled and elegantly turned away. "I can do very much without a marriage, thank you."

Atobe's father sighed before apologizing tot he Akutagawas. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's gotten into him. First that 'amnesia,' and then this."

Atobe gritted his teeth in an effort to not protest that.

Then the door slid open again.

"Ah! Leiko-chan! Sakuya! Come, come!" Atobe's father brightened. Atobe looked up to see a woman in elegant robes and a young girl in a pretty kimono and her brunette hair beautifully pinned up. He watched her apathetically. She was pretty, he'd grant her that, but she didn't interest him a single bit. In fact, looking at her made him think of Jirou and his beautiful yukatas, laughing eyes, and soft blond curls. The girl was blushing and giggling as she was led over to the table and bowed to him., introducing herself. Atobe didn't bother getting up and merely nodded at her in greeting. "Atobe Keigo."

His flat tone didn't seem to discourage the girl any bit, however. She just sat down next to him and coyly peeked at him from the corner of her eyes. Atobe gave an inaudible sigh of annoyance. Great. A shallow airhead for a fiancee. He wondered when Jirou would get here.

The mother sat down at the other end of the table beside her daughter. Atobe noticed that the mother had an interesting hair color. It was a very light brown color. He absentmindedly wondered if she was mixed, perhaps with Western ancestry in the line somewhere.

Atobe's father frowned disapprovingly at his son's lack of response to his fiancee. "Keigo..."

Atobe rolled his eyes. "I refuse."

Then his father noticed the space between them as the servant from earlier began to set up another seat for one more. He waited until the servant finished before opening his mouth to ask the servant why he was setting up for another person, but his son cut him off and dismissed the servant. Atobe's father, Keisuke, frowned. "Keigo, why is there-" He was cut off when the door opened yet again. Everyone began to stand up, believing that the Emperor had finally appeared, but stopped when they saw who had entered.

A beautiful boy dressed in a simple, yet elegant yukata had entered. The only accessories he wore were three simple gold bangles, and a dangling ornament in his hair right above his right ear. He had almost a look of disdain on his face as he looked around, until his eyes landed on Atobe. He glided over to the open seat at the table and bowed slightly to everyone staring at him as he introduced himself. "I am Sayuri." He said in a sweet voice, before gracefully taking his seat.

"Keigo! What is the meaning of this?!" Atobe's father had finally snapped out of his shock and yelled at his son.

Atobe also sat down as he nonchalantly said, "You heard him introduce himself."

The Atobe patriarch growled. "I meant, why did you bring this...this....whore, here to the lunch table!"

Atobe glared at his father. "Please refrain from using such terms. Sayuri belongs to me. I will bring him wherever I please."

Keisuke gaped at his son. "You-you..." He sputtered.

"It's alright, Keisuke." The Akutagawa patriarch placed a hand onto the other's shoulder. "If Keigo wants to bring his...pleasure slave, then let him."

Keisuke growled. "He is getting married! Just because I didn't demand that he get his act together when we first heard those rumors about him, doesn't mean that I will allow him to dishonor your family by having a sex slave around when he's about to marry your daughter."

Atobe snorted. "I never agreed to marry her in the first place. All of you just seem to be convinced that I did." He looked at the girl gasping at him in shock. "I intend to keep Sayuri no matter what you say. Deal with it."

"Oh yes, a messenger outside asked me to tell you that the Emperor will not be joining us for lunch today. He'll be present for dinner, instead." Jirou broke in.

"I see. Thank you, Sayuri-chan." Atobe gave a half-smirk, half-smile at the blond.

"It is no problem, Atobe-sama." The blond replied in a sweet tone with a small smile.

"Kei-"

"Father, please sit down. The servants are waiting to serve us lunch." The rest of the Akutagawa family had already sat back down. Kaji was now staring at the blond, almost fascinatedly while Reika glanced over at the newcomer every now and then. She thought the blond reminded her of something from long ago, but she didn't know what. Her son was watching the blond curiously, unbeknownst to her. Leiko was alternating between glaring at the blond and trying to flirt with an unresponsive Atobe. The mother was at a loss as to how to react, while the father watched the younger Atobe's and Sayuri's interactions. They seemed very comfortable and relaxed in each other's company.

Kaji thought the blond was beautiful, hence his staring, but couldn't figure out why he felt a little protective of him. He should be feeling protective over his little sister and anger towards this intruder, but he couldn't manage to dredge up such feelings.

Then the blond glanced at him, midbite. "Akutagawa-sama, please refrain from staring at me like that."

Kaji started out of his musings at the address. "Ahh...sorry." He laughed sheepishly before continuing his lunch.

Atobe's father continued to fume as he ate his lunch, angry with his son's attitude and audacity. He almost snapped his chopsticks in half as he watched his son practically dote on the blond, picking various choicy bits of food and putting them on the blond's plate. He was definitely going to have a talk with his son later.

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